Frugal Sailing!

[marthur]

As I commission this season, I have been thinking about money saving suggestions.

For example, I buy things like impellers and plugs and have them handy for maintenance because sometimes you can buy things on sale or have them shipped from our host with another purchase and save a few $.

I buy cotter pins, stainless fasteners and the like from industrial supply houses because the price is cheaper. In fact, the last bag of cotter pins I bought from McMaster Carr came in a bag of 100 for the same cost as 6 at my local homedepot.

I have been cleaning and reusing plugs during my annual tune up for a few years now. The old timers (including the guy that taught me about hand starting) convinced me to try. Most plugs clean up really nicely on a wire brush and carb cleaner does a great job of removing carbon and oil. At $3.50 to $5.00 each, the money adds up (I maintain three plus outboards, two atomic 4's, a snowblower, lawn mower, generator two cars. That is 29+ spark plugs!)

What money saving tips do you all have?

[Mo]

As I commission this season, I have been thinking about money saving suggestions.

For example, I buy things like impellers and plugs and have them handy for maintenance because sometimes you can buy things on sale or have them shipped from our host with another purchase and save a few $.

I buy cotter pins, stainless fasteners and the like from industrial supply houses because the price is cheaper. In fact, the last bag of cotter pins I bought from McMaster Carr came in a bag of 100 for the same cost as 6 at my local homedepot.

I have been cleaning and reusing plugs during my annual tune up for a few years now. The old timers (including the guy that taught me about hand starting) convinced me to try. Most plugs clean up really nicely on a wire brush and carb cleaner does a great job of removing carbon and oil. At $3.50 to $5.00 each, the money adds up (I maintain three plus outboards, two atomic 4's, a snowblower, lawn mower, generator two cars. That is 29+ spark plugs!)

What money saving tips do you all have?

I buy cotter pins and SS bolts and nuts the same way you do...10 minute drive from my house. This year I replaced a couple of halyards and bought both at the boat show 1/2 price. Saved $170 on new DOT3 coat. My main sail now has 9000 nm on it and up and down pretty much every day the boat is in the water. The 100% furling jib has more miles on it. I have them checked and repaired as necessary yearly. I was going to get new ones and Brad (sailmaker) told me to hold off as they are still fine. They just don't look new anymore. I buy industrial grade bottom paint as well at about 1/2 the price of Micron which is every bit as good. For fiber glass supplies I go to a fiberglass supply business and always save a bunch of money. Buying anchors etc I go directly to the main wholesaler here in Nova Scotia...they will drop it off at the door ($70 22lb Bruce galvanized) ($20 12lb Bruce galvanized...lunch hook) Danforth went in the garbage as I wouldn't give one to my worst enemy!

Dock lines...same place and bought a whole roll of 5/8 rope for about $380 when I bought the boat. Dock lines that stay on dock, spare dock lines to stay on the boat and use when travelling, 300ft rode for anchor, 150 ft rode for anchor. Can you imagine walking into a place to get that. My flares need to be replaced this year but they don't run out until Aug...again, I will go to an outfit that supplies industry and be set up with para-flares etc for the price of walking into West Marine etc and coming out with the bare minimum standard.

My buddy makes fine wine and mead LOL...we are taxed to death in Canada so it's nice to kick the "entitled ones" in the teeth without handing over tax dollars to them.

EPRIB: Guys, put one on the boat. They can be had for about $300 and if you are out there having a heart attack, someone hit with a boom etc just hit the button. You can call CG radio and send a mayday and tell them you are activating your epirb....they get allot of info real fast. So, don't spare the money on something that will save you or someone else.

[joe_db]

Dollar Store - Dollar General - Family Dollar - etc:
I get paper towels, napkins, and cleaning supplies here for cheap.
Their store brand version of Clorox Cleanup will take the hide off a Rino. I got a "shower and tub cleaner" thing for about $6 that is a scrubber sponge on the end of a 2-3 foot handle. So far it has worked fantastic for getting crap off my non-skid.

Seltzer water bottles: I like to drink this with a slice of lemon or orange on a hot day. Much healthier than soda. Seltzer (or club soda) is also useful for getting stains out of clothes and carpet. Then the bottles are useful when empty. I put milk in them since they will withstand all kinds of abuse without leaking, which is NOT the case for standard issue milk bottles and cartons. An ice box full of milk is no fun to deal with. I can't swear to the long term safety of this, but every bottle I have used for gasoline has held up and not melted. Not suggesting you use it for a gas can substitute, but if you are draining filters or something they work.

Sam's Club - They carry a store brand "Energizer" group 31 AGM battery that is really an East-Penn Deka deep cycle battery for about half what any "marine" store charges.

OpenCPN - I run this free and excellent nav program with free NOAA downloaded charts. The PC I am using is a FleaBay special old IBM Thinkpad that was under $100 for 2 of them The computers do NOTHING else, so they don't need to be new or fast and can never get a virus or malware. Linux Mint is an excellent FREE operating sytem if you don't have a "legal spare Windows install CD"

FleaBay solar panel - I got a 20 watt panel for pretty cheap and it has paid for itself in gasoline I didn't use for battery charging.

[hanleyclifford]

The bark on the tree

Each haulout I seem to end up with a pint or two of bottom paint so this year, inspired by the bottom paint thread we recently had, I have married up all my old bottom paint into a blue purpley concoction that will serve as the first coat (I got a whole gallon!)

[JOHN COOKSON]

what money saving tips do you all have?

Stay away from west marine.
TRUE GRIT

[Marian Claire]

Do not be intimidated by boat work. DIY. Ten years and 13,000+- miles and I pay to have the bottem sanded (to toxic) and standing rigging swages done. Frustration, pain, dirt and maybe an imperfect job are balanced by knowledge, pride, $$ in your pocket and more time on the water. I realize this is not for everyone. Skills, time, your hourly rate verses the yard rate etc play into it. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[lat 64]

I bought an old boat. Thought I'd save money. Silly me.

Seriously? I brew my own coffee.
I also save a lot of time reading tips on this forum. Time is money.

Oh, one more. Don't always buy the cheapest. Many import parts look good but are a waste of my money (and time).

Russ

[hanleyclifford]

Stay away from west marine.
TRUE GRIT

West Marine has become the Wal-Mart of the marine market. But they have set themselves up in locations where the cruising boater often has no choice. The tendency to "boutiqishness" continues apace; we are all becoming more familiar with McMaster. Curiously, that is exactly how West Marine destroyed the ship's chandleries, and then gobbled up the other catalogues. It all comes around again on the guitar...

[romantic comedy]

I come here for tips and advice. Best money spent.
wait? it is free, oops..

[JOHN COOKSON]

I come here for tips and advice. Best money spent.
wait? it is free, oops..

"I am glad I paid so little atttention to good advice; had I abided by it I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes"

TRUE GRIT

[Mo]

West Marine has become the Wal-Mart of the marine market. But they have set themselves up in locations where the cruising boater often has no choice. The tendency to "boutiqishness" continues apace; we are all becoming more familiar with McMaster. Curiously, that is exactly how West Marine destroyed the ship's chandleries, and then gobbled up the other catalogues. It all comes around again on the guitar...

Around here in Atlantic Canada the "West Marine's and Binnacles" are not the go to places. I get a few things from there that I need but 90% of the boat's needs come from independent industrial marine supplier or just industrial supply. If I shop around and actually look, I can get things MADE here to a spec that will take punishment...for the same or less price.

Dollar Store: Cleaning supplies; oven cleaner $1 for cleaning engine and bilges...removes grime; as mentioned earlier sanitary stuff, wine and drink glasses. As some of you know, I have a kid that is autistic....it is no problem for a mess on the boat, plastic cups and glasses can be broken easily and $10 will put enough for a party back on the boat. Bought stubby based "wine" glasses this year (they are not actually wine glasses) as the tall ones get knocked over so much...just something I'm trying.

Propane: I use 17lb (mostly called 20 lb) tank secured outside the stern rail...allows venting off the boat and $11 fills it for a whole year and we use propane stove and BBQ quiet often.

Hatch Covers: Brought mine to Apple Auto Glass for replacement because it was leaking. I was told the new ones are not made like it. The guys took it apart and told me to keep and reuse the glass because it was an almost 1 inch thick laminated glass. They resealed it and told me that lexan etc would not take the impact that the current glass would. If I had been doing that myself I'd have probably thrown out a piece of material that will stop bullets.

My trailer: I built my trailer and can pull and launch the boat myself. Launch and recovery costs yearly cost me nothing...and I can pull the boat out for a storm anytime.

Russ: Keurig Coffee dispenser on the boat this year. My 27 yr old son bought one then a tassimo...he gave the Keurig to me for the boat. Still on the bench in the garage but will bring it aboard here in the near future. I feel I may have to fire up the engine with the 1000 watt inverter to run it...but hey, the perfect cup right!!

Google Earth Image: The mark near water is where the boat is at her dock. The other mark is Burnside Industrial Park...there is very little that can't be had there from engine rebuilds, parts, manufacturing, paints, fiberglass products, industrial supplies, marine supplies...you name it! 6 miles away!

[Marian Claire]

Brewing coffee??? It says "Gourmet Instant Coffee" right on the container. What could be better? Oxymoron if there ever was one but it is "frugal".
Dan S/V Marian Claire
PS. I do have a french press so if you bring your own...

[lat 64]

Look guys, gals, this is the way it is see. You take fresh air-roasted beans about two days old and grind them to dust and put them in the dang pot!
You add a little water and heat, see.
Then you drink it.
It's called coffee.
No crema, no latte art, no plastic.
If you don't have any teeth to strain it through, then you are given dispensation to use an unbleached(brown filter). Please dry the filter and reuse it on your next cattle drive.

Russ

[joe_db]

Re Keurig Coffee dispenser :
We have one at work. It is the LAST thing I would put on my boat and is about as far from frugal coffee as you can get other than hiring a water taxi to go to Starbucks

I wouldn't even get one for my house!

[JOHN COOKSON]

Brewing coffee??? It says "Gourmet Instant Coffee" right on the container. What could be better? Oxymoron if there ever was one but it is "frugal".
Dan S/V Marian Claire
PS. I do have a french press so if you bring your own...

Brewing coffee??? Really! Boiled is much better.

Make cowboy coffee by boiling the grounds in a sauce pan. It's the best. If you can't stand the grounds filter them out before drinking.

TRUE GRIT